Chelsea failed to believe in me - Sturridge

Daniel Sturridge insists he could not succeed at Chelsea because his former club did not believe in him, and he is thriving at Liverpool now because they are doing just that.

Sturridge, 24, spent four years at Stamford Bridge after joining from Manchester City in 2009, but only managed 12 Premier League goals in that period as he found first-team opportunities hard to come by.

His January move to Anfield has reinvigorated his career, however, as he has scored 18 times in the league in this calendar year.

As well as his prodigious partnership with Liverpool team-mate Luis Suarez, Sturridge credits manager Brendan Rodgers for putting his trust in him as the reason behind the upturn in his fortunes.

"Brendan Rodgers knows what I need," he said in the Daily Mirror. "I needed to be believed in, to play as a centre-forward at a club, and I didn't get that at Chelsea.

"He gave me the opportunity to do that here. It's great to be part of his philosophy. He gets the most out of his players, and makes us want to win for him.

"He's just very good at man-management as well as the tactics and team stuff.

"When I went to Bolton [on loan in 2011], I was able to show what I can do because I was playing as a centre-forward. At Chelsea, I never got the chance to do that; but I've got that opportunity here.

"Brendan was a big part of me coming here because I knew about him from when I was at Chelsea.

"He had tried to get me on loan when he was at Swansea, so I knew he rated me. He knows how I work."